Life Isn't A Movie
by No Guns Only Roses
Summary: As Mikey and Raph watch a movie together, they discuss why they refused to take the mutagen and become human for good. 2016 film verse.


**This is my first Bayverse TMNT fic! Yay! :D**

 **Set after the events in "Out Of The Shadows", which is an AWESOME movie! Just sayin'.**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes in this chapter, which I will fix later.**

He could hear the popcorn starting to pop in the microwave, and the sweet smell of butter and cheddar cheese made its way out of the kitchen and into the living room, filling Mikey's nostrils. A dreamy smile formed on his lips as he inhaled, and he let out a content sigh.

 _Movie night rocks_ , he thought to himself as he patiently waited for his bros to arrive and gather around the TV. Tonight was Mikey's turn to pick the movie, which was actually a pretty difficult decision for him to make, since he loved _all_ of the DVD's and VHS's that were on the shelves (well, except that cheesy sci-fi flick _Mac and Me_ , which Donnie really liked for some reason). He eventually settled on the Disney classic _The Little Mermaid_ , which he absolutely adored as a child. And for good reason, too.

From the time he was four years old, when he and his bros started watching the people through the gutters, he dreamed about going to the surface and meeting those strange tall creatures with hair and pink (and sometimes brown) skin. But their dad forbade them from going into the outside world, on account of it being, as he would put it, "too dangerous". At such a young age, Mikey couldn't quite understand why he wasn't allowed to go up there, and it saddened him. So he'd distract himself from going to the gutters by playing with his bros, coloring books, or watching VHS movies that their father would occasionally find in the trash.

One day, when they were seven, Splinter brought home a VHS tape that had the title, _The Little Mermaid_ , printed on the label. They all watched it together later that night, and Mikey was absolutely mesmerized by it. It was as if he were watching a movie of his own life. He could relate to the mermaid Ariel who wanted so desperately to go the surface and be a part of the human world. And there was the stern but overprotective father who forbade his daughter from interacting with the humans. By the end of the movie, when Ariel finally became a human and married the love of her life, Mikey was bawling like a baby, while his bros were passed out on the carpet (they had fallen asleep halfway through the film). It was a dream that he thought would never come true for him.

When they got old enough, Splinter finally allowed them to go the surface, on one condition: that they'd only go out during the night and never allow themselves to be seen by the humans. To move in the shadows like ninjas. While it rocked that he was finally able to get out of the sewers, it sucked that he couldn't at least _talk_ to the people. But everything changed after they met April, their first (and hottest) human friend, who happened to be their hogosha. Mikey instantly became attracted to her, following her around like a puppy and even singing love songs to her.

But overtime, that infatuation faded and was replaced with platonic, sibling love. After all, life isn't a Disney movie. There is no fairy godmother or even an evil sea witch who can use her magic to transform him into a human so that he'd be able to win April's affections. He had to wake up and smell the burnt pizza. He would always be a mutant turtle and she would always be a human girl. And what was even more disheartening was the fact that he would most likely never get to be a part of _that_ world.

And he was reminded of that truth once again when he was called a "monster" by those policemen. Never before had anyone looked at him with such fear and hate, and it pierced his heart like an icicle. At that moment, reality slapped him hard in the face, and he just wanted to sink back into the sewers and hide there forever.

But then things took a turn for the better.

They saved the world from being taken over by that ugly talking bubblegum Krang, and the NYPD honored them with the golden keys to the city. For the first time ever, they were given the praise and recognition that they so longed for and deserved, and although the rest of the world wouldn't know of their heroic actions, it was enough. More than enough even. To Mikey, it was the best feeling in the world.

It had been a week since their battle with Krang, and Mikey was still a bit sore from his "bear hug". But it wasn't a big deal. He could still go out and kick butt, plus Donnie said that he'd be completely better in just a few more days. Speaking of...

"Hey, bros!" he called out to them while he sat on the couch. "You ready for movie night or what?!"

No one responded and his voice echoed in the seemingly empty lair.

"Um, hello?! Movie night, remember?!"

Then he heard heavy footsteps approaching the living room.

"Sorry, lil' bro. But it's just gonna be you and me tonight."

Mikey peeked over the couch and saw Raph walk into the kitchen. He could hear the refrigerator door being opened and the clinks of glass as Raph reached around for possibly an Orange Crush.

"Aw, what?!" Mikey asked incredulously. "Well, where's Leo and Donnie? They _never_ miss out on movie night!"

"Leo just received a call from April," Raph said as he opened his soda can, the hiss echoing in the kitchen. "Had something to do with a robbery or something. I dunno. Anyway, he took Donnie with him. They won't be back in time for the movie."

"Oh, well, it's their loss," Mikey merely shrugged and kicked his feet out, resting them on the table. There was a long beep as the popcorn finally finished popping. "Oh, hey, Raph, get the popcorn ready while you're in there!"

He could hear his brother grumble, "Have to do everything around here," as he opened the microwave door. Moments later he returned with a large bowl full of buttery, cheesy popcorn. Mikey could barely contain himself and instantly reached for it, but Raph was quicker and pulled it away in time. He still went for the popcorn and tried to grab it, climbing over the large turtle.

"Hey, whoa!" Raph pushed him back with his elbow. "Wait until the movie starts, knucklehead!"

Mikey huffed and sat back down on the cushion, his arms crossed. "Fine," he mumbled. "But once the castle thing shows up on the screen, it's chowtime." He picked up the remote from the table and pressed play. The VCR made a whirring sound and the video began playing. He fast forwarded through the trailers of past films until he finally got to the THX sound test. The second the Disney logo appeared, Mikey snatched the bowl from Raph and grabbed a handful of popcorn. He shoved so much into his mouth that he had chipmunk cheeks, causing his brother to roll his eyes before focusing them on the screen.

Neither one of them said a word to each other during the first thirty minutes of the film, though Mikey would glance over at Raph to see if he was bored or asleep yet. None of his bros never really cared much about _The Little Mermaid_ , as they preferred films with more action and less romance. But to his surprise, Raph seemed actually engrossed in the movie, wide awake and giving it his full attention, which was a first.

It was when Sebastian the crab started to sing "Under The Sea" when Raph finally spoke in a soft voice. "You really like this movie, huh?"

Mikey's mouth was full of popcorn that he could grunt in agreement and nod his head. His eyes were still glued to the screen and he didn't turn to look at his brother, who continued to talk.

"You know, when we were kids, I couldn't really understand why this movie was so special to you. But as we got older-"

"Hey, Raph," Mikey interrupted him. "Could you wait until this part is over? This is my favorite song." He stated to slap his knees to the beat and quietly sang the lyrics. Raph shook his head and patiently waited for the scene to end, and once it did, he spoke to his brother again.

"Mikey...why did you decide _not_ to change into a human?"

"Huh?" This caught Mikey's attention and he turned down the volume before looking at his brother. "What-what did you say?"

"I mean," Raph seemed a bit uneasy and twiddled his thumbs, "before, you wanted so badly to become human so that you could finally get out of the sewers. You could've done so much with your life, go out and meet people, visit places...get married and have kids-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Mikey held his hands up. "Bro, it's WAY too early to be thinking about _that_ , don't you think?"

"The point is, Mike," Raph quietly said, "you made the decision not to use the mutagen. What I'd like to know is...why?"

Mikey was surprised that his brother was bringing this up now. "Well...why are you asking me this?"

"Because I have to know if you're truly happy down here with us."

Mikey's eyes widened and time, itself, seemed to stop. How long had Raph been worrying about something like that? "Of course, I'm happy here, bro! There's no where else I'd rather be!"

Raph remained silent and briefly looked away. When he locked eyes with Mikey again, there was a hint of...sadness? "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure, Raph," he said with certainty and a smile. Raph still didn't seem convinced, so he continued. "Look, I'll admit that I was pretty psyched about becoming human, but then I did some thinking. What's so great about being human anyway? You get pulled into a dead-end job, you're just another face in the crowd, and you have to take a bus, cab, or worse yet the _subway_ to get anywhere in the city. Can you imagine being stuck in that tight space with all those weirdos?" He chuckled, hoping that he lightened the mood with a bit of humor.

But Raph didn't even crack a smile.

Mikey sighed. "Listen, Raph, I'm not just saying all that so you would feel better. I meant every word, and I wouldn't trade this life for anything. I don't need to go and see the world; you guys _are_ my world. Now let's stop talking and enjoy rest of the movie, okay?"

He gave Raph a quick pat on the shoulder before turning back to the TV, even though he could still feel the tension in the air. He tried so hard to focus on the film, but the discussion he had with Raph left him wondering about something as well. When it got to the scene where Ariel was crying over the remains of the statue of prince Eric, he turned down the volume again.

"Raph...why didn't _you_ take the purple ooze? Didn't you want to be human, too?"

Raph slowly turned his head and looked at his little brother with a somewhat somber expression. "It didn't really matter to me, Mikey. I would've been happy either way as long as I was with my family. That's why, before I shattered that...that vial, I looked to you first, to see what _you_ wanted. It was obvious that Leo and Donnie, didn't really want to change. But I knew how much you wanted this, and even though you didn't actually say anything, I knew from the expression on your face that you were okay with me throwing the mutagen away."

Mikey's mouth dropped open as he started to realize the real reason why Raph was so upset with Leo keeping the secret of the ooze from the two of them. He wanted his little brother to be happy and to finally get what he dreamed of since he was little. And Leo was keeping from him the only chance of ever achieving that lifelong dream. Raph was only thinking of his brother.

Then Mikey noticed that Raph's green eyes were wet and glistening, and his heart broke at the realization that his tough, badass older brother was actually crying.

"But I'm going to be honest with you, Mike," Raph's usually gruff voice cracked slightly with emotion. "I was really happy when you decided to stay the way you are. 'Cause I knew that if you changed into a human, you'd want to leave the sewers and start a new life...without us. You know, find a girl, marry her, maybe even move out of New York. You'd probably only come to visit us on holidays...or maybe never at all."

A tear dripped down his cheek and he quickly turned away, trying his best not to look weak. That one tear was enough to break Mikey and tears came down his own cheeks nonstop.

And to rub salt into the wound, he heard Ariel on the TV say, _"If I become human, I'll never be with my father or sisters again."_

The shame and guilt became unbearable for Mikey. He was so obsessed with becoming human that he wasn't thinking about his family or how they would feel about it. He was only thinking about himself. If he had taken that one chance and turned into a human, he'd most likely move out of the city and never see his dad and brothers again, as Raph had pointed out.

Raph, on the other hand, was selfless and wanted only for Mikey's happiness, even if it meant sacrificing his own and letting his brother go. What Mikey had always admired about Raph the most wasn't his strength or bravery, but his heart of gold and undying loyalty to his family. It was Raph who risked his own to save his brothers after they were captured by the Shredder. He nearly had his own shell cracked by that buckethead, and yet he still continued to fight on for his family.

He truly was Mikey's role model.

Raph wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and cleared his throat. "Sorry, I know I'm being selfish right now-"

He was cut off by Mikey's sudden embrace. The smaller turtle wrapped his arms around his brother's shell and buried his wet face in his bulky shoulder.

"Mike-Mikey..."

"You're not selfish," Mikey croaked, tightening his hug. "You're the most selfless guy I ever met. If anybody is selfish, it's me. I'm just a selfish, stupid jerk. I'm...I'm sorry, Raph." His shoulders started to shake and sobs escaped his lips. "I'm so sorry...!"

He felt Raph's hand soothingly rub the dome of his head and he was being rocked by his brother. Raph didn't make a sound as he comforted Mikey. He just held him, and that was all the younger brother needed. They stayed like that for nearly ten minutes, and then Raph gently pushed Mikey away, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

"You don't need to be sorry, Mikey," he softly told his little brother with a warm smile. "Okay? And you're not selfish either...though I wish you'd stop hogging all the Orange Crushes and hiding them from me."

Mikey tearfully laughed and wiped his nose with arm. Raph quickly handed him a napkin that was lying on the table.

"Don't even think about wiping your snot on me like last time," Raph threatened, though he was chuckling.

Mikey blew his nose with a loud honk before leaning back in the couch, his eyes on the TV screen once again. "Funny," he sniffled, "I wasn't supposed to cry until at the end where Ariel marries the prince."

Ariel was brushing her hair with a fork, much to everyone else's confusion. The expressions on their faces made Mikey chuckle weakly.

"Hey, Raph," Mikey quietly spoke, "what do you I'd look like if I were human?"

"Hmmmm," Raph rubbed his chin, looking up at the ceiling in thought. "If you were human...you'd probably look like Steve Buscemi with blonde curly hair."

Immediately, Mikey threw a pillow at him. "Oh, yeah? Well, _you_ would look like Seth Rogen!"

Raph shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, it's better than looking like Buscemi. At least I don't have Rogen's dorky laugh."

"I dunno," Mikey smiled mischievously, "you do have a rather dorky laugh. Even dorkier then Donnie's."

"Think so, huh?" Raph did a rather poor impression of Seth Rogen's famous laugh, which caused Mikey to fall off the couch and onto the floor laughing his ass off.

For the rest of the night, the two had so much fun teasing each other that they didn't even pay attention to the movie. Even as the credits rolled, they continued to chat and joke, enjoying each other's company.

 **:)**

 **I do not own Disney or any of its movies.**


End file.
